When Gavin met George: Sacked pals catch up over plush lunch
He may have just gone through the most difficult week of his political career, but Gavin Williamson was all smiles as he used his new found freedom to catch up with an old pal.
The South Staffordshire MP met up with former Chancellor George Osborne for a bite and a chin-wag at the plush Ivy Kensington Brasserie.
And with both of them having felt the sharp end of Prime Minister Theresa May's axe, you can be sure that they had plenty to discuss.
Mr Williamson, who was sacked as Defence Secretary over claims he leaked sensitive information to the press, tweeted: "Upside of not being in Government is that there is plenty of time to catch up with old friends. Always fantastic to see George Osborne."
Mr Osborne, who is now editor of the Evening Standard after Mrs May booted him out of government in June 2016, replied: "And so much to talk about too."
Mr Williamson appears to have been on a food binge since his sacking last week, posting pictures of himself chomping on a McDonald's and tucking into an ice cream sundae.
He has largely kept a low profile, telling the Express & Star that he planned to focus on constituency issues, but also outlining his hopes for a future return to the top table.
He continues to deny any involvement in the National Security Council (NSC) leak, which led to the publication of government plans to hand part of the UK's 5G contract to controversial Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.
Mr Osborne has revealed his own views on the scandal, saying it reminded him of the plot of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express.
Referring to cabinet ministers present at the NSC meeting, he said: "I think quite a lot of them leaked it."
